National Hunt jumps 2025/2026

[Portsmouth]

GO go Wyld Bill….didn’t he just…1st 4/1…they always seem to win when you don’t back them.

Yeah, so true ....just thought he was probably the best choice but as you say, I didn't bother to make a bet.
Also re Epitetus in the Lincoln ...really can't see him having a run. Have another preference but will mention them nearer the time

That was a good little bet on Seventy in the last race....well done

[Onelife]

Onelife’s Saturday Bankers

Having watched “Mondui’ Boy win at Ludlow last time out (I say ‘watched’ loosely because you could only see the last two fences due to fog) this horse galloped right to the line, with what looked like a little bit in hand…add to this, there were some decent horses behind him so he must go well if in the same form.

Mondui’Boy - Ascot 1.15 - £8 win (taken 15/8)

Both me and Pompey backed "Joyeux Machin” last time out only to see him fall while 5 lengths clear and going as if he only had to jump the final three fences to win. Whilst l was very confident for his previous race I’m a little more apprehensive as to how he will perform tomorrow. That being said, if we don’t have a repeat of what looked like an awkward fall last time out then he should run well.

“Joyeux Machin” - Ascot 3.00 - £5 win

Going on form most will be giving “Western Zephyr” a wide berth, however, having moved to a different trainer and having shown decent form after returning from a long lay off he might just outrun his odds of 20/1 - I’m willing to take the chance.

“Western Zephyr” Haydock 1.28 - £3 win £1ew (taken 20/1)

l’ve plumpted for “Mombeg Genius” while Pompey has gone for “Richmond Lake” for the Grand National trial at Haydock....With the withdrawal of “Le Home Presse” the weights have gone up and it might be better looking at one of the lower weighted horses, that being said, having already placed my bet earlier in the week there’s no going back, so as I have said in an earlier post his trainer knows how to ready one for races such as this, he has also reduced the horses weight by putting up a good claiming jockey. It’s going to be a slog but given a clear round I think both horses have a good chance of one of us bringing home the bacon.

“Mombeg Genius” Haydock - 3.15 -£5 win (taken 14/1)

50p win lucky 15

[Portsmouth]

Won't be having a bet on Joyeux Machin tomorrow price is a bit short for an e/way bet & I'm not completely convinced he will win this time.

So first time I've looked at A/I in regard to horse racing and asked a simple question.......
is Western Zephyr racehorse worth a gamble
This is the ai reply.....

Whether a racehorse like Western Zephyr is "worth it" depends on if you're looking for a calculated sporting interest or a reliable financial return. In the world of National Hunt racing, he is a known quantity with a specific set of pros and cons.

Here is a breakdown of his profile as of February 2026
The Case for Western Zephyr

Recent Stability Change: He recently moved from Charlie Longsdon to Mickey Bowen’s yard. A change in scenery or training routine can often revitalize an older horse (now 9 years old) whose form has dipped.

Ground Preferences: He has a history of performing well on Good to Soft ground. His best career performance likely remains his 2024 win at Carlisle, where he "sluiced up" by nine lengths.

Front-Running Style: He is a bold jumper who likes to be prominent or lead. This can be an advantage in smaller fields or on tracks where it's hard to make up ground from the back.
The Risks to Consider
Patchy Form: His late 2024 and 2025 seasons were disappointing, including a "Pulled Up" (PU) result at Aintree in April 2025. He has struggled to recapture the consistency he showed as a novice.

Track Bias: Jockey Sean Bowen has previously noted that the horse can hang right, suggesting he may be more effective on right-handed tracks (like Huntingdon or Ludlow) rather than left-handed ones (like Cheltenham).

"Quirky" Nature: His former trainer described him as "not the most straightforward." This means he can be unpredictable—sometimes traveling like a winner and other times finding little when pressured.

The "Gamble" Verdict

Western Zephyr is a talented Class 3 / Class 2 horse, but he has become hard to predict. He is best viewed as an "Each-Way" prospect when he returns to a right-handed track or shows a spark of life under his new trainer.

[Onelife]

Like you Pompey, I have never thought of using AI as an informative source but there were snippets of info that I wasn’t aware of so I will in the future refer to it more often, especially over the Cheltenham week where form analysis can be quite time consuming.

[Portsmouth]

Mondoui'boy will hopefully win for you. He is highly regarded with jockey Ben Jones describing him as one of the stable's better novice hurdlers.
This race is viewed as a key stepping stone to see if he can transition from maiden winner to a legitimate contender for Cheltenham.

I think possibly Monbeg Genius if he is at his best will have a better chance than Richmond Lake (& of course he did beat Richmond Lake last February by 5 lengths ) This was going to be my only bet for tomorrow but I have had a small win bet on Legendary Luke running at Haydock in the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle. He has some tough opposition including Skeltons Dalston Lad.
Stamina is his Strength: He is out of a half-sister to the legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River. This suggests that the step up to 3 miles should be exactly what he wants.

[oldbluefox]

Good luck chaps. The bookies are having it too easy. I hope OL h as taken my expert advice.

[Onelife]

Mondoui'boy will hopefully win for you. He is highly regarded with jockey Ben Jones describing him as one of the stable's better novice hurdlers.
This race is viewed as a key stepping stone to see if he can transition from maiden winner to a legitimate contender for Cheltenham.

I think possibly Monbeg Genius if he is at his best will have a better chance than Richmond Lake (& of course he did beat Richmond Lake last February by 5 lengths ) This was going to be my only bet for tomorrow but I have had a small win bet on Legendary Luke running at Haydock in the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle. He has some tough opposition including Skeltons Dalston Lad.
Stamina is his Strength: He is out of a half-sister to the legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River. This suggests that the step up to 3 miles should be exactly what he wants.

The way “Mondui Boy” won at Ludlow was impressive so having just spoken to my mate “Bet the Fred” who is going NRNB on all Cheltenham races I’ve backed it for both of the races he is declared for… 50/1 and 40/1… if he runs a big race tomorrow I will have him at a good price without losing my money should he not run in either race.


It’s a big step up in grade for “Legendary Luke” but his trainer is in good form so not one to be dismissed.

[Onelife]

Good luck chaps. The bookies are having it too easy. I hope OL h as taken my expert advice.

I have indeed Foxy…I got £220 for my wife's gold necklace

[Portsmouth]

The Onelife Challenge Cup How about being the sponsor of a race ?
Imagine the pleasure you would get handing over a small cup or trophy to the winning owner, trainer & jockey
It might not have to cost that much either + you get free entry to the racecourse.

I only say this because having a look at the Punchestown racecards I think I've just spotted the lowest win amount I've ever seen
Tell me it's a mistake someone please, or am I being very silly If it's a misprint then it's on Racing Post racecards as well
Up The Yard Challenge 17:02 and the prize money ......An Amazing 60 Euros
https://www.timeform.com/horse-racing/r ... -challenge


.

[oldbluefox]

Mrs Onelife, lock up your jewellery

[Onelife]

Saturday Results

Mondui Boy - 1st 8/ll (took 15 /8)

Western Zephyr - 2nd 33/1 (took 20/1

Joyuex Machin - 9th 5/1

Mombeg Genius 7th 8/1

The take away - Mondui Boy was very impressive. - Mombeg genius won’t be carrying anywhere near the weight he had to carry today so I now have my two National horses - Iroko and Mombeg Genius.

So what do we say in these situations…a small profit is better than a big loss.

[Portsmouth]

Western Zephyr is a talented Class 3 / Class 2 horse, but he has become hard to predict. He is best viewed as an "Each-Way" prospect

Don't know how you pulled this one out of the hat ....just a shame you didn't get the 33/1 price
Well done with Mondui Boy....although it was favourite and expected to win.

I was out yesterday but saw a Ladbrokes just before the race with Joyeux Machin so I popped in an watched ...He was going so well and for a while I thought you had a real chance of a win or a place but I was surprised how quickly he faded towards the end.

Whilst I think your choice of Iroko for the national has a good chance ...it's a shame that Stumptown won't be running this year. I think he was unlucky for a number of reasons including being hampered and found by the vet to be lame in his right hind
I was also pleased to see Jonbon won his race

[Ray B]

Here's a good one for my dear friend onelfe . Success is the ability to from one failure to another, with no loss of enthusiasm .

[Onelife]

Here's a good one for my dear friend onelfe . Success is the ability to from one failure to another, with no loss of enthusiasm .

I’ve got that in abundance Ray

[Onelife]

Grand National Weights

https://www.grandnational.fans/news/202 ... l-weights/

I was hoping Mombeg Genius would get 10.5 but with 9.13 won’t make the cut.

The winner of this years Grand National “Iroko” has got 11.1

[Portsmouth]

Yes, so many horses still in it but as you say Monbeg Genius weight virtually means he won't run. I would guess and say probably any horse who' has a weight less than 10-3 won't be in it either.
Nick Rockett also might not take part because he has to run in a race before the National. He has had a few problems including an overreach just before the John Durkan and he hasn't run since last years National

Maybe OL you might give a second thought to Spillanes Tower, although his main target is the Gold Cup, his trainer Mangan says he won't risk running him on the wrong ground...so if that happens he will probably be running in the Grand National
Willie Mullins has said that a horse he likes for the National is Captain Cody winner of the Scottish National

[Onelife]

Hi Pompey, I will be surprised if Spillanes Tower runs in the National even if he gets his favoured soft/heavy going…Why would you risk a young horse of his class and quality in a race that has so many “if onlys”. There are plenty of races yet to be won with this horse so I can’t see him running (good chance in the Gold Cup if he gets his going). If Willie Mullins likes Captain Cody then one should definitely sit up and note…will stay, nice weight, but will he jump round? I think we’ll know W Mullins best chance when his stable jockey Paul Townend picks his mount.

[Portsmouth]

So before we get to read about Ols tips for the weekend I just thought I'd mention that there is a very special race tonight at 7:30 Southwell.
Constitution Hill who is usually a NH horse over hurdles is running a flat race tonight after falling 3 times in his last 4 races.
The question I have in my mind ...is he there to really show his class and win or is he there as a confidence booster to have a good gallop and not really bothered about winning ?
Some other good horses in the line up & Ryan Moore has been brought in specially to ride Daddy Long Legs. Square Necker & Gambino might also have a part to play in the top three.

[Onelife]

Hi Pompey, Onelife Saturday Bankers will be posted later on this evening as I’ve had a busy day. As for Constitution Hill he’ll be in it to win it and while he isn’t fav to do so I personally wouldn’t be looking anywhere else for the winner….however, I won’t be having a bet.

[Onelife]

Onelife’s Saturday Bankers

There are plenty of reasons to avoid “Pyramid Place” , not least that he has never raced over jumps before having done all his racing over hurdles. The fact that he is out of form and being the outsider of the field doesn't fill you with much confidence either, however a small ew bet might give a nice return if he recaptured some of his old form (which were in higher grade races over hurdles) then he would have a chance if taking to the jumps…this however isn’t guaranteed

Pyramid Place - Chepstow 2.17 £1 ew

Moving up the road to Newcastle I quite fancy the chances of “Livin On Luco” in the Marathon 4 mile 1F Eider Chase. Most of the runners have in and out form but on a going day this horse would have a good chance. Generally runs well after a short break and given that he goes on any surface he should be there at the finish. Plenty of others have good chances Dom on Mary and Anglers Crag to name a couple.

Livin On Luco “ 2.43 Newcastle £5 win

Kempton has a couple of good races, one of which is the 3.35 where Katate Dori tries to win this race for the second year running and has a fine chance of doing so. The trainer is in fine form so one would think this race has been on the cards for some time.

Katate Dori 3,35 Kempton £5 win

There are a few questions to be asked about some of the other runners so Javet Allen may be the more solid bet.

Javert Allen 4.5 Kempton £5 win.

My last selection runs at Fairyhouse but at this moment in time I keep flipping between two horses. Three card Brag is well suited to this kind of race and given that he is very consistent I’ve decided to stay with him for my £5 stake but can’t dismiss the chances of Gerri Colombe so I’m having a covering bet just in case.

Three Card Brag Fairyhouse 3.15 £5 win - Gerri Colombe £1 ew.

[Onelife]

Wasn’t that a lovely sight Pompey? Constitution Hill looked like Pegasus and won as if he was out for an evening stroll. The Question as to what happens next is to be decided but I hope they choose the flat for this magnificent horse, he owe’s them nothing so why take a chance of another fall in the Champion Hurdle?

Btw…6/4 looked such a good price that I had a last minute fiver on him.

[Portsmouth]

Wasn’t that a lovely sight Pompey? Constitution Hill looked like Pegasus and won as if he was out for an evening stroll.

Yes, it was a lovely sight
Interesting choice you've gone for at Chepstow...I hope you get lucky but going with an e/way bet is a wise option. Not one I would pick (and I like going for big outsiders)...seems to be @ 40/1

Your other each way bet Gerri Colombe by a strange coincidence is one I also thought might be worth a small e/way bet as I got the price @16/1 when I passed a bookies in town & then I got that slightly nagging feeling I maybe should have gone for Intense Raffles who came second in this to Nick Rocket last year @22/1 e/way. To be honest I don't really expect a return as there are some good horses in this including Three card brag
I think now Gerri Colombe has gone down to 10/1 & Intense Raffles is down to 16/1 so at least I got a decent price for my bets. £4 total spent.
Katate Dori has a few extra lbs to carry since winning last year

Livin on Luco in the Eider at Newcastle is a good choice (4th in the Welsh Grand National) but I like Mr Vango who although not fast will stay forever and then there's Anglers Crag who won in 2024 but is getting on at 11yrs

[Onelife]

Saturday results

Pyramid Place - PU 50/1

Livin on Luco - 6th 5/1

Katate Dior 8th 5/1

Javert Allen 5th 3/1

Three card Brag 7th 3/1

Gerri Colombe 2nd 8/1 Pompey got 16/1 ew I got 14/1 ew

So what do we say in theses situations…not a good day at the races, however, on a brighter note, I managed to get back on the Yellow Peril today

[Ray B]

See Onelife, you have about a much luck as I do on the ship, backing donkeys

[oldbluefox]

Every year OL wins the wooden spoon for Tipster of the Year. Looking like he’s got competition now